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NEWS: Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys "Manga"


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slickwataris



Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 1334
Location: Carol Stream, Illinois
PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2005 7:11 pm Reply with quote
I saw these when my brother dragged me to the comic book store a few weeks ago. They look kind of interesting but I wouldn't spend the money on them.
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Haru to Ashura



Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 617
Location: Termina
PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2005 7:17 pm Reply with quote
Nancy Drew = suck.

Hardy Boys = suck.

Zorro = ROCK. XD I love Zorro.

I'm at least happy that the artists tried to create something of their own style. It's not perfect, but better than some.
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.Sy



Joined: 11 Mar 2005
Posts: 1266
PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2005 7:18 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
"We’re not trying to imitate Japanese-style stories. We’re using the manga style because that’s what kids know. We’re trying to capitalize on the fact that kids are coming back to comic books in significant numbers.”
Well that's good to hear. But, as slickwataris said, I wouldn't spend money on them.
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VML



Joined: 17 Dec 2004
Posts: 28
Location: Southern California
PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2005 7:38 pm Reply with quote
So basically they are saying they are trying to attract more readers by using manga style.

The Zorro comics look interesting and I like how the Hardy Boys comic looks. Smile
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Geoffrey No Jutsu



Joined: 17 Jan 2005
Posts: 6
PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2005 8:42 pm Reply with quote
the bright side is: artists are able to actually work. that's always a good thing. i just wish the cost of comics in general would fall a little so they become sort of affordable again. i bought the 1st 4-issue TPB for INVINCIBLE and it was $13! I realize that there aren't ads in comics really anymore, but that's still a REALLY high price in my opinion. i dunno why i went off on that rant. sorry Anime hyper
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JETBLACK87



Joined: 14 Apr 2002
Posts: 1073
PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2005 9:09 pm Reply with quote
I can't wait for The Hardy Boys and the Mystery of the Giant Transforming Lighthouse.

Sorry. I know it was stupid, but I couldn't help myself.
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Necros Antiquor



Joined: 10 Nov 2004
Posts: 571
Location: Funny in a car crash sort of way
PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2005 11:28 pm Reply with quote
.Sy wrote:
Quote:
"We’re not trying to imitate Japanese-style stories. We’re using the manga style because that’s what kids know. We’re trying to capitalize on the fact that kids are coming back to comic books in significant numbers.”
Well that's good to hear. But, as slickwataris said, I wouldn't spend money on them.

The only way I can interpret a quote like that is in this way:

"We’re not trying to imitate Japanese-style stories." = Obligatory statement to make their manga seem unique

"We’re using the manga style because that’s what kids know." = Manga is really popular with the kids, so we'll do it too.

"We’re trying to capitalize on the fact that kids are coming back to comic books in significant numbers." = Kids are buying lots of manga comics, so giving our products the manga treatment will mean they will buy our comics too.

If you're going to go through the effort of doing the manga look, follow up with a manga storyline. Maybe I'm just too jaded, though. Manga-styled Zorro would probably rock.
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Haru to Ashura



Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 617
Location: Termina
PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2005 11:48 pm Reply with quote
This is all marketing, though. If you go and look at some of the sample pages on their site, I think that these comics look more 'American' style than manga-stylized. They're blatantly just trying to sell their stuff. At least they're honest about it. Laughing
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Craeyst Raygal



Joined: 30 Apr 2002
Posts: 1383
Location: In the garage, beneath a 1970 MGB GT.
PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 12:04 am Reply with quote
As someone who collects Hardy Boys novels (I grew up reading the books, and The Sinister Signpost remains my favorite) I can say that this is a bad step.

The original novels are what kids need to reconnect with, not some dressed up caricatures of the stories.
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Erufu



Joined: 06 Jul 2004
Posts: 191
PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 12:51 am Reply with quote
So, here are the steps they are taking.

1. take stories from books that kids don't read anymore
2. illustrate them to no end getting comic panels
3. slap the unread stories onto the pages (remember, they won't realize they're recycled!)
4. flip it backwards so that all the execs can't figure out how to read them
5. put them on bookshelves where they will automatically sell because kids will see they open up the opposite of how they are supposed to and say, "Oh, cool! I have to have this!"

Well, I couldn't help myself. Basically, all they are doing is making graphic novels, which Americans have done before, and flipping them around so they will "blend in" with the popular manga.

It's still hard for me to grasp how many people read manga. The other day, I saw 3 girls that were "preps" buying manga at Waldens. When I was in high school, girls like that wouldn't even be caught dead knowing what manga was all about it.
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Nobuyuki



Joined: 22 Mar 2004
Posts: 536
PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 1:01 am Reply with quote
Erufu wrote:

4. flip it backwards so that all the execs can't figure out how to read them
5. put them on bookshelves where they will automatically sell because kids will see they open up the opposite of how they are supposed to and say, "Oh, cool! I have to have this!"

Well, I couldn't help myself. Basically, all they are doing is making graphic novels, which Americans have done before, and flipping them around so they will "blend in" with the popular manga.

There's no flipping involved. That would be just stupid.
They trying to "emulate" Wink the manga art style, not the packaging.
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j_wong00



Joined: 13 Apr 2005
Posts: 7
PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 11:50 am Reply with quote
I see this as another attempt at a cash-grab. Seeing how manga is quite trendy in NA it's not surpirising.

Not there's anything wrong with making money, but I'd rather them have good writing over artwork/style emulation.
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The Xenos



Joined: 29 Mar 2004
Posts: 1519
Location: Boston
PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 11:53 am Reply with quote
Geoffrey No Jutsu wrote:
the bright side is: artists are able to actually work. that's always a good thing. i just wish the cost of comics in general would fall a little so they become sort of affordable again. i bought the 1st 4-issue TPB for INVINCIBLE and it was $13! I realize that there aren't ads in comics really anymore, but that's still a REALLY high price in my opinion. i dunno why i went off on that rant. sorry Anime hyper


To me, Invincible, and other good comics are worth that price. The monthlies are ungodly expensive and I know I should wait for trades though.

As for the price of even trades, you must consider that color printing is somewhat more expensive. Then again Marvel has been experimenting with digest formats for TPBs with stuff like Runaways and some of their Marvel Age books.

-Xenos
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MichiyoYoshiku



Joined: 23 Jan 2005
Posts: 48
Location: Rhode Island
PostPosted: Thu Apr 28, 2005 9:26 am Reply with quote
May the Bastardization of American Literature and Japan's Primary artform begin.
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Sydney2K



Joined: 01 Mar 2004
Posts: 218
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Fri Apr 29, 2005 3:47 am Reply with quote
I'm trying to see why ANN thinks this is new news...

Newsarama article

Widya Santoso
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